Hot stick



0st. 21, 1969 D. J. GOODMAN 3,473,837

HOT STICK Filed Aug. 17, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 o 3 3 g Mmm Q his [A F IG. I. l3

FIG. 2

INVENTOR.

DANIEL J. GOODMAN ATTORNEY Oct, 21, 1969 D, J. GOODMAN HOT STICK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 1'7. 1967 INVENTOR. DANIEL J. GOODMAN BY {MW ATTORNEY 3,473,837 HOT STICK Daniel I. Goodman, Rte. 4, Box 170, Lake Charles, La. 70601 i 'iied Aug. 17, 1967, Ser. No. 661,325 Int. Cl. B2512 27/00; 13253 /00 US. Cl. 29419 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates generally to an improvement in high power transmission, hot line tool sticks for removing, for example, the plug-in primary connector head or elbow terminator from the terminal of an underground transformer. More particularly, this invention relates to an automatic hot line tool stick, commonly called a shot-- gun stick in the art, for removing or installing plug-in connectors having an eyelet portion and a rounded portion. The stick has a head which includes a male member for insertion into the eyelet of the connector and a grasping member for grasping the rounded portion of the connector. For removing the connector, the male and grasping members are locked in place while firmly secured to their appropriate areas of the connectors and the head of the stick is then withdrawn. V

Heretofore most of the shotgun sticks of the prior art were merely hooks for insertion into the eyelet of the connector. Due to the high voltages involved, the connectors were often semi-welded and usually solidly stuck to its electrical member, for example, the transformer. As a result, the hook often only served to tear the eyelet open and destroy or damage other portions of the connector, the connector, then of course being even more difficult to remove. In the present invention, the removing force is not concentrated at one point but is distributed over two basic areas and the solid, positive and large area action of the grasping member further improves the Workin g of the present invention.

Moreover, using the tools of the prior art, it was necessary to use two men, one to hold and control the cable or wire being removed and the other to remove the connector from its connection. With the present invention only a single operator is needed because the positive control of the connector allowed by the invention gives the operator the capability of both removing and controlling the connector.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an improved hot stick to handle hot line connectors in a manner which is safer for personnel.

It is a further object of the invention to provide complete and positive control of the connector at all times by one man.

It is a still further object of the invention to reduce wear and tear and damage to the connector, particularly at the ends thereof. Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the invention showing States atent ice the working parts in a closed position, with the male rod member 3 being in a non-operative position;

FIGURE 2 is a side view at degrees turn from left to right of FIGURE 1 also showing the working parts in a closed position but With the male rod member 3 being in its operative position;

FIGURE 3 shows the same perspective view as FIG- URE 2 but with the working parts of the invention in an open position, with the male rod member being in its initial position; and

FIGURE 4 shows a typical connector of the prior art on which the hot stick of FIGURES 1-3 can be used.

By way of example the invention will now be described as used in association with the working of 15 kv. energized concentric neutral conductors in a typical residential underground distribution system (U.R.D.) or commercial underground distribution system (U.C.D.), but of course its use is not limited to this purpose.

Referring to FIGURES 1, 2, and 3, the hot stick of the present invention comprises a wood or fiber glass hot stick 13 on which is mounted an open ended metal tube 1, Welded to tube 1 to make a fixed unit is a metal halfring, metal plate and metal tube assembly 10. A metal half-ring, similar to 10, and curved operating arm 11 is pivotably mounted on the stick and tube 1 by means of the pivot bolt 9.

As seen in FIGURE 1 the metal plate 10 is slotted to permit movement of the operating arm 11. The half-ring and operating arm 11 is so positioned and off-set to provide a large inlet area when open (FIGURE 3) and a closed circle with the other half-ring 10 when closed (FIGURE 2). The operating arm is caused to rotate by means of a pull arm assembly 68 and 12 which comprises a metal rod 8 inserted in and connected to a metal sleeve 7 which at its other end is connected to rod 12 by fastening means 6. The metal rod 8 has a ninty degree bend and is threaded and drilled for nut and cotter pin. The metal rod 8 is thus fastened to an end of the operating arm 11. By moving the operating element 24 along the stick 13, the pull arm assembly is caused to move in a direction substantially parallel to that of rod 13, causing in turn the half-ring and operating arm 11 to rotate about its pivot point, resulting in the two half-rings 10 and 11 to open or close together.

An additional working member 3 is provided and comprises a metal rod 3 bent at a ninty degree angle to itself and at its other end threaded and drilled for nut and cotter pin. The rod 3 rides in a collar 2 which is welded to the tube 1 by means of bracket 15 to provide a unitary structure. The rod 3 is free to rotate in every direction and is free to move parallel to the stick 13. The rod 3 is biased in a downward direction by spring member 4 working against washers 16. The spring member 4 also biases the operating arm 11 and pull arm assembly 68 and 12 in a downward direction by means of the drag link 5. As is seen in FIGURE 1 the top of the drag link 5 is attached to the operating arm 11 and the rod 8, while the bottom of the drag link 5 is attached to the rod 3 by means of two nuts 14 and 17. Because of the bias of the spring 4 working on the operating arm 11, the half-rings 10 and 11 are biased to be closed.

FIGURE 4 shows a typical elbow terminator or plug-in connector and comprises a rounded stress-cone elbow member 19 in which is secured a power cable line, in this particular example, a concentric 1S kv. cable. The other end of the elbow terminates in a male contact and are follower 18 and usually includes a line rubber water seal. At the elbow junction an elbow eye or eyelet 21 is provided. In the U.R.D. and U.C.D. systems such an elbow connector is used to electrically connect the concentric 15 kv. cable 20, coming from the exterior into a subsurface transformer vault to a transformer wherein the male contact 18 is connected to a terminal of the transformer.

In use the hot stick is operated as follows: The set screw 22 is loosened and the operating element 24 is moved forward along the stick 13 to open the half-ring members 10 and 11. The rod 3, while in the relative position shown in FIGURES 1 and 3, is then inserted into the eye or ring 21 of the connector and the stick is then rolled so that the half-rings 10 and 11 enclose the elbow portion 19. In rolling the stick, the open end of the tube 1 is positioned over the eye or ring 21 of the connector and the rod 3 rotates through an angle of ninety degrees to the relative position shown in FIGURE 2. The operating handle 24 is then withdrawn toward the butt of the stick which closes the half-rings 10 and 11 together and pulls the eye or ring up into the open end of the tube 1. The set screw 22 on the operating handle 24 is then set on the grid 23, thus locking the stick in a closed position until the operator is ready to release the stick from the connector, From this closed position, the operator may turn the head in any position or raise or lower it at will. With this flexibility, double purchase damage to the connector clue to the strain needed to break the air lock between the head and transformers bushing is reduced to a bare minimum. Moreover, this type of purchase on the conductor also allows one man to handle the tool without any danger of losing it and permits flexibility of movement.

It is noted that the tube 1 is contoured and shaped so as to mate with the connector and thereby further enhance the lateral and positive gripping qualities of the stick of the present invention.

The invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity but it should be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the parts of this invention may be changed in size and shape to match the different sizes and shapes of diiierent makes of connectors used.

What is claimed as invention is:

1. A tool for removing a member having an eyelet portion and an extended area portion comprising:

a support element (13);

a working head (3, 10, 11) attached to said support element, said working head comprising grasping means (10, 11) for grasping the extended area portion of the member and male element means (3) for insertion into the eyelet portion of the member, said grasping mean including extended area means (10, 11) for mating with the extended area portion over a substantial area to obtain a firm grasp, and said male element means extending in a substantially non parallel direction to the major axis of said extended area means when said tool is in working engagement with the member; whereby a particularly firm engagement is achieved.

2. The tool of claim 1 wherein said working head further includes eyelet receiving means '(1) for further engaging and holding the member, said eyelet receiving means conforming to the general shape of the surface of the member in proximity to the eyelet portion.

3. The tool of claim 2 wherein said male element means is capable of rotation and is mounted on said support element under tension by means of resilient tensioning means (4) thereby causing the eyelet portion of the member to be drawn into said eyelet receiving means during engagement.

4. The tool of claim 3 wherein said working head further includes connecting means between said grasping means and said resilient tensioning means for causing said grasping means to be biased in closed position simultaneously with said male element means drawing the eyelet portion into said eyelet receiving means during engagement.

5. A hot stick for removing an electrical plug-in connector having an extended rounded portion and an adjacent eyelet portion comprising:

an elongated support element (13 a working head (3, 10, 11) attached to said support element, said working head comprising grasping means (10, 11) for grasping the rounded portion of the electrical connector and an elongated male element means 3) for insertion into the eyelet portion of the electrical connector, said grasping means including circular, cylindrically surfaced extended areas means (10, 11) for mating with and encircling the rounded portion of the electrical connector over a substantial area to obtain a firm grasp, said elongated male element means extending approximately at a right angle to the axis of said cylindrically surfaced extended area means when said tool is in working engagement with the electrical connector; whereby a particularly firm engagement is achieved.

6. The hot stick of claim 5 wherein said working head further includes eyelet receiving means (1) for further engaging and holding the electrical connector, said eyelet receiving means conforming to the general shape of the surface of the electrical connector in proximity to the eyelet portion; whereby there is good mating contact when said eyelet is received into said eyelet receiving means during working engagement.

7. The hot stick of claim 6 wherein said elongated male element means is capable of rotation about an axis perpendicular to the direction of elongation of said male element means; whereby, in engaging the working head with the electrical connector, the male element means can be first inserted into the eyelet portion while it is extending in a direction substantially different than that which it takes during firm working engagement, and then the working head can be rotated until the male element means extends approximately at a right angle for firm working engagement.

8. The hot stick of claim 6 wherein said elongated male element means is mounted on said support element by means of resilient tensioning means (4); whereby the position of the male element means can be resiliently varied with respect to said grasping means.

9. The hot stick of claim 8 wherein said grasping means has open and closed positions, and said hot stick further includes an actuating arm means 12) for moving the grasping means from its open to its closed position and a connecting arm means for translating the movement of the actuating arm means in closing said grasping means to simultaneously cause said male elements means to pull the eyelet portion of the electrical connector into said eyelet receiving means; whereby full firm engagement is achieved simultaneously.

10. The hot stick of claim 9 wherein said hot stick fur ther includes locking means (22, 23, 24) for locking the grasping means around the electrical connector and the eyelet portion into the eyelet receiving means; whereby firm engagement can be maintained during removal of the electrical connector.

11. A hot stick for removing an electrical connector having an eyelet portion (21) and an extended, circularcross-sectional portion (19) comprising:

an elongated support stick (13);

a working head mounted on or near one end of said support stick, said working head comprising three working elements:

(a) a circular grasping means for grasping the extended, circular-cross-sectional portion of the electrical connector, said grasping means including two semi-circular members (10, 11) which are mounted for relative rotation about a common axis to close and open for grasping and releasing the electrical connector;

(b) elongated male element (3) means for engaging the eyelet portion of the electrical con- 5 6 nector mounted for rotation about an axis pering means to the male element means to cause the pendicular to the direction of its elongation and two means to move simultaneously; perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said whereby, when said semi-circular members are closed, semi-circular members; and the male element is pulled down toward the eyelet (c) means (1) for receiving the eyelet portion of the electrical connector and engaging the body of the electrical connector in proximity to the receiving means.

References Cited eyelet portion, the periphery of the means gen- UNITED STATES PATENTS erally conforming to the surface configuration 43 52 5 1941 rin en 294-19 of the electrical connector in proximity to the 10 2 345 901 4 1944 Branden 294 104 X eyelet p and 2,514,063 7/1950 Hubbard 29419 actuating means (12, 6-8) for moving said semi-circular members into their closed and open positions; ANDRES H. NIELSEN, Primary Examiner said Working head further including mechanical translating means for mechanically connecting the grasp- 15 

